This invention relates generally to recreational equipment, and more particularly concerns a jousting apparatus involving two jousting sticks connected by a flexible rope-like connecting member.
This invention is an improvement on U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,796, which is described in more detail below. Briefly, the ""796 apparatus comprises two hand-holdable sticks, which are joined by a comparatively short, flexible connecting member, the ends of which are anchored in adjacent ends of the two sticks, thereby forming a continuous apparatus. The ""796 apparatus can be used conveniently by two persons in a jousting contest which involves physical strength, skill and agility. While the invention of the ""796 patent has proven to be successful, there is no basis in that invention for providing an advantage to one contestant so as to equalize what would otherwise be a mismatch in physical prowess/agility.
This invention provides such a capability in the context of the ""796 apparatus. This invention thus enables the prior jousting apparatus to be successfully and fairly used by contestants who are not matched in physical prowess, thus expanding the enjoyment of the apparatus.
Accordingly, the present invention is an improved jousting apparatus which comprises two elongated sticks which are joined together with a flexible connecting member anchored within the respective stick ends, wherein the connecting member is anchored sufficiently to allow relative motion to the respective sticks, wherein each jousting stick includes two designations placed at predetermined positions along the length of each stick, wherein the designations provide a selected positioning for an upper hand of a selected contestant in three positions: a first position which is a normal position for a jousting contest, a second position below the first position which is for a disadvantage to the selected contestant in the jousting contest, and a third position below the second position, which is for a further disadvantage to the selected contestant in the jousting contest.